Tailgating (2019)

Directed by: Lodewijk Crijns | 85 minutes | thriller | Actors: Jeroen Spitzenberger, Anniek Pheifer, Roosmarijn van der Hoek, Liz Vergeer, Willem de Wolf, Truus te Selle, Hubert Fermin, Tim Linde, Peter Blankenstein

Rudeness in traffic: a popular topic at every family party and at the coffee machine on the work floor. That’s how director Lodewijk Crijns thought about it and he decided to make a film about this phenomenon. It resulted in ‘Bumperkleef’, an intriguing thriller-cum-horror film about rude behavior on the highway.

In ‘Bumperkleef’ a gruff and hurried citizen Hans (Jeroen Spitzenberger) gets into an argument with a man in a delivery van (Willem de Wolf). According to Hans, his predecessor in a white van is not driving fast enough and that is why he wants to push him off the road. However, the tailgating does not please the man and the situation quickly gets out of hand. Hans’s wife (Anniek Pheifer) and his two young daughters beg him to apologize, but he refuses to hear of it. His pride prevents him from doing so. However, the man in the van is the wrong person to argue with, Hans and his family discover.

Knowing as little as possible about this film is the best way to see this production by Lodewijk Crijns. The director has created an exciting film that excels in simplicity and recognisability. Spitzenberger is great as the gruff and stubborn Hans. He is annoyed and remains so throughout the film. His behavior has an influence on his family and that is continuously noticeable. Pfeiffer is also doing well as a desperate and frustrated wife. De Wolf’s game is quite wooden, but his facial expressions and body language ensure that he remains dangerous.

The stunts are very impressive. The tailgating, the unexpected maneuvers and the antisocial driving behavior are well illustrated. There’s a constant threat, because you don’t know what turn the film will take. ‘Bumperkleef’ is a super tense film in which people race full throttle to an exciting conclusion.